Genealogy and Progeny in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam

The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is not only a philosophical treatise but also the historical record of the universe. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that it meticulously tracks the lineages of the great progenitors (Prajāpatis), kings, and sages who populated the material worlds. Begetting children in this context was rarely a matter of mere sense gratification; it was often a specific duty executed under the order of higher authorities to maintain the cosmic order. This article examines the various dynamics of procreation found in the text, from the divine command to populate the universe to the spiritual imperative to renounce family life.

Duty of the Prajāpatis

In the early stages of creation, the primary directive given by Lord Brahmā to his sons and the early kings was to increase the population. Great sages like Kardama Muni and kings like the Pracetās engaged in severe austerities not to avoid family life, but to purify themselves before begetting children who would be worthy leaders and progenitors.

• When all these Pracetas were ordered by their father to marry and beget children, they all entered the ocean and practiced austerities and penances for ten thousand years. Thus they worshiped the master of all austerity, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
• Kardama Muni practiced yoga very rigidly as a brahmacari before his marriage, and he became so powerful and attained so much mystic power that his father, Brahma, ordered him to marry and beget children as a householder.
• In the womb of that girl the Pracetas all begot a son named Daksa, who filled the three worlds with living entities.

Renunciation vs. Procreation

While procreation is a duty for the householder, the Bhāgavatam also extols the path of renunciation. When the sons of Prajāpati Dakṣa, known as the Haryaśvas, were sent to beget children, the sage Nārada Muni intervened. He instructed them that getting entangled in family life was useless without self-realization, leading them to renounce the order of their father.

• After hearing the instructions of Narada Muni, the Haryasvas, the sons of Prajapati Daksa, decided not to be entangled in materialistic life by begetting hundreds of children and having to take care of them. This would have been unnecessarily entangling.
• Narada Muni advised the Haryasvas, the sons of Prajapati Daksa, that instead of begetting progeny, it would be better to leave and achieve the perfection of spiritual understanding according to the instructions of the sastras.
• These sons, who were named the Savalasvas, also (like the Haryasvas) engaged in worshiping Lord Visnu to beget children, but Narada Muni convinced them to become mendicants and not beget children.

Extraordinary and Divine Births

The lineages in the Bhāgavatam often involve extraordinary circumstances. The Pāṇḍavas were not begotten by Pāṇḍu directly but by demigods through the chanting of mantras. Vyāsadeva was called upon to beget children in the wives of Vicitravīrya to save the Kuru dynasty. Additionally, the Supreme Lord Himself appeared in these lines, as Vāmanadeva or Ṛṣabhadeva, to teach the world.

• Pandu was restrained from sexual life because of having been cursed by a sage, and therefore his three sons Yudhisthira, Bhima and Arjuna were begotten through the womb of his wife, Kunti, by Dharmaraja, by the demigod controlling the wind.
• Vyasadeva, following the order of his mother, Satyavati, begot three sons, two by the womb of Ambika and Ambalika, the two wives of his brother Vicitravirya, and the third by Vicitravirya's maidservant. These sons were Dhrtarastra, Pandu and Vidura.
• By His own potency, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who has multifarious potencies, appeared in the form of a dwarf as Urukrama, the twelfth son of Aditi. In the womb of His wife, whose name was Kirti, He begot one son, named Brhatsloka, who had many sons, headed by Saubhaga.

Royal Dynasties

The text records the progeny of significant kings to establish the history of the earth. From the pious lineage of Parīkṣit to the expansion of the Yadu dynasty, Śrīla Prabhupāda teaches that these records serve to verify the historical authenticity of the Puranic accounts.

• King Pariksit married the daughter of King Uttara and begot four sons, headed by Maharaja Janamejaya.
• Through Marisa, King Sura begot Vasudeva, Devabhaga, Devasrava, Anaka, Srnjaya, Syamaka, Kanka, Samika, Vatsaka and Vrka. These ten sons were spotlessly pious personalities.
• The famous Sasabindu had ten thousand wives, and by each he begot a lakh of sons. Therefore the number of his sons was ten thousand lakhs.

Conclusion

The genealogical records of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam demonstrate that the universe is not a random occurrence but a carefully populated field of activities. Whether through the mystic powers of sages, the intervention of demigods, or the pious procreation of kings, the history of begotten children reveals the unfolding plan of the Supreme Lord. Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes that while begetting children is a duty in the material world, the highest duty is to liberate oneself and one's offspring from the cycle of birth and death.

Dive Deeper into Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani

Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category Begotten Children from the Srimad-Bhagavatam. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.

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